Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) are unique economic and governance events as privately held firms issue common stock or shares to the public for the first time. The governance issues surrounding IPOs are relatively unexamined compared to more established, and usually larger, firms. As such, they provide a unique context to study corporate governance and its development around the world. Based on a collaborative international research project, this book analyses the corporate governance of IPOs in twenty-one countries, each of which is characterized by different governance environments and different levels of IPO activity. The end result is a broad and deep assessment of governance practices and IPO activity for an array of economies that represent roughly 80 percent of the global economy. These chapters collectively provide new insights into what a global theory of corporate governance might look like and offer guidance to policy makers and academics regarding national governance configurations.

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) are unique economic and governance events as privately held firms issue common stock or shares to the public for the first time. The governance issues surrounding IPOs are relatively unexamined compared to more established, and usually larger, firms. As such, they provide a unique context to study corporate governance and its development around the world. Based on a collaborative international research project, this book analyses the corporate governance of IPOs in twenty-one countries, each of which is characterized by different governance environments and different levels of IPO activity. The end result is a broad and deep assessment of governance practices and IPO activity for an array of economies that represent roughly 80 percent of the global economy. These chapters collectively provide new insights into what a global theory of corporate governance might look like and offer guidance to policy makers and academics regarding national governance configurations.

This book will provide a comprehensive insight of the characteristics and development of corporate governance in Italy. Both the external institutional mechanisms, such as the codes of best practices and the mandatory auditor rotation, and the internal corporate governance devices, such as boards' structure and composition and director compensation, will be analyzed. In particular, this book is presented to provide the reader an insight on the ownership structure and the control enhancement mechanisms adopted by the Italian dominant shareholders as well as the typical – and unique – two tier-board structure, with a board of directors and a board of statutory auditors, that is widely adopted among Italian companies. This book reveals that while corporate governance in Italy has – to some extent – converged towards other European and international models, there are certain core features that remain (and are likely to do so in the near future as well) and their knowledge and understanding is relevant to investors and other stakeholders.

This book provides an understanding of the characteristics of corporate governance in Italy, one of the most developed countries in the world, symbol of the family capitalism. The text presents the main peculiarities of the Italian corporate governance system, its impact on decision-making in corporate boardrooms, and the potential positive and negative consequences for the firm and its stakeholders. Several real-life case studies were included to help the reader grasp the subtleties of how power is exercised in Italian companies. The authors combine their knowledge of research with their professional experience. Such an approach helps the reader interpret the nuances of corporate governance practices in Italian companies as those practices are driven not only by the globalization of markets, but also by national economic, social, and political forces. The result is a unique corporate governance system, which deeply differs from the Anglo-American one. This book is, therefore, particularly relevant for a wide international audience (including investors, corporate directors, scholars, and practitioners) as it provides useful insights to interpret, evaluate and take sound decisions in Italian companies.

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) are unique economic and governance events as privately held firms issue common stock or shares to the public for the first time. The governance issues surrounding IPOs are relatively unexamined compared to more established, and usually larger, firms. As such, they provide a unique context to study corporate governance and its development around the world. Based on a collaborative international research project, this book analyses the corporate governance of IPOs in twenty-one countries, each of which is characterized by different governance environments and different levels of IPO activity. The end result is a broad and deep assessment of governance practices and IPO activity for an array of economies that represent roughly 80 percent of the global economy. These chapters collectively provide new insights into what a global theory of corporate governance might look like and offer guidance to policy makers and academics regarding national governance configurations.

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) are unique economic and governance events as privately held firms issue common stock or shares to the public for the first time. The governance issues surrounding IPOs are relatively unexamined compared to more established, and usually larger, firms. As such, they provide a unique context to study corporate governance and its development around the world. Based on a collaborative international research project, this book analyses the corporate governance of IPOs in twenty-one countries, each of which is characterized by different governance environments and different levels of IPO activity. The end result is a broad and deep assessment of governance practices and IPO activity for an array of economies that represent roughly 80 percent of the global economy. These chapters collectively provide new insights into what a global theory of corporate governance might look like and offer guidance to policy makers and academics regarding national governance configurations.

This book will provide a comprehensive insight of the characteristics and development of corporate governance in Italy. Both the external institutional mechanisms, such as the codes of best practices and the mandatory auditor rotation, and the internal corporate governance devices, such as boards' structure and composition and director compensation, will be analyzed. In particular, this book is presented to provide the reader an insight on the ownership structure and the control enhancement mechanisms adopted by the Italian dominant shareholders as well as the typical – and unique – two tier-board structure, with a board of directors and a board of statutory auditors, that is widely adopted among Italian companies. This book reveals that while corporate governance in Italy has – to some extent – converged towards other European and international models, there are certain core features that remain (and are likely to do so in the near future as well) and their knowledge and understanding is relevant to investors and other stakeholders.

This book provides an understanding of the characteristics of corporate governance in Italy, one of the most developed countries in the world, symbol of the family capitalism. The text presents the main peculiarities of the Italian corporate governance system, its impact on decision-making in corporate boardrooms, and the potential positive and negative consequences for the firm and its stakeholders. Several real-life case studies were included to help the reader grasp the subtleties of how power is exercised in Italian companies. The authors combine their knowledge of research with their professional experience. Such an approach helps the reader interpret the nuances of corporate governance practices in Italian companies as those practices are driven not only by the globalization of markets, but also by national economic, social, and political forces. The result is a unique corporate governance system, which deeply differs from the Anglo-American one. This book is, therefore, particularly relevant for a wide international audience (including investors, corporate directors, scholars, and practitioners) as it provides useful insights to interpret, evaluate and take sound decisions in Italian companies.